By Kelline Linton, Chief Copy Editor
Cramped in the hidden, narrow space underneath the Sing Song stage, three women race to change mics and dress the hosts and hostesses between each act. Sometimes they have less than three minutes to outfit the performers in new costumes, complete with shoes, jewelry and fake eyelashes, while at the same time redoing their hair and makeup.
“It gets really hectic back here, but it’s organized chaos,” said Mallorie Frank, backstage manager. “We all know what we are doing, but the hostesses also help a lot, especially when dealing with mic changes.”
The confined quarters allow little wiggle room, much less the space needed to prepare the six main entertainers for their numerous acts. The area does feature two sections: one for the hosts and the other for the hostesses. A thin curtain separates the two dressing rooms, providing scant privacy for the harried performers, as they strip almost bare between each musical set. A multitude of colorful dresses and suits hang from makeshift rods under the stage, while boxes of jewelry and racks of shoes clutter the cement floor. A stack of water bottles is setup in a corner, within easy reach of the thirsty singers.
Frank, (’08), said outfitting the hosts and hostesses can be challenging, especially with the time limitations.
“The difficult part is nailing the time,” she said. “During the show, we may not have an extra five seconds. They have to be on the stage before the band starts.”
Frank, who worked backstage in last year’s Sing Song, said her favorite story involved former host Ben Reeves. All the hosts were on stage for Love Train, when Reeves runs back behind stage, frantically saying he cannot find his mic. As everyone looks for it, Frank sees the mic – on his head.
“He had to come up the stairs singing his part,” she said. “It was hilarious; I will never forget it.”
Amanda Duke, sophomore social work major from Arlington, and Jennifer Lewis, sophomore family studies major from Plano, are the other two students who help Frank control the chaos backstage.
“A lot of stuff goes on back here that people don’t realize,” Duke said. “We’re always moving, always doing something. There’s one time where we took a breather for two seconds, then the song ended, and it all began again.”
Duke joked she does anything and everything backstage and may soon begin to wear a toolbelt filled with hair and makeup products.
Lewis said working behind the Sing Song scenes was exciting.
“The hosts and hostesses are a big part of the show, and it’s just nice to be able to help with that,” she said. “They are fun getting to know.”
Hostess Jennifer Rasco, senior elementary education major from Abilene, said the backstage workers are professional and good at what they do.
“Everything is really organized, and we couldn’t do it without them,” she said. “It’s clothes, makeup, hair and mics flying.”
Lewis said the hosts and hostesses constantly have to rush on and off stage, and the stress can strain on them, especially for hostess Adrienne Linge who has bronchitis.
“They come back here, and they are sweating,” she said. “It’s just exhausting, and they are so nervous. People just don’t know how much work they put into this.”
Hostess Jessica Patterson, senior nursing and musical theatre major from Winchester, Va., said the trickiest thing for her to remember off stage is which mic she needs for each act. While backstage, Patterson changes her handheld mic for a head mic on several occasions, while also changing costumes and accessories.
Keeping mics and their accompanying wires untangled can be a daunting task for the already busy performers, but Scott “Moose” Vanlerberghe is always ready to help them with their sound quality. His job is to ensure the hosts and hostesses can hear themselves sing during their performances.
Moose worked with Dave Bell, front house engineer, to ensure Moody Coliseum was audio ready. They spent 16 hours Sunday, flying the PA from the roof, running cables and brining in extra consoles.
“Moose is really helpful and does what we need,” Rasco said. “He is easy to work with.”
Rasco said the small confines backstage did lead to one benefit: closer relationships between the performers.
“We all have gotten really close, and so that has been something really special,” she said. “I think it definitely helps us perform better because you are closer with the people you are performing with.”
